Thursday, March 16, 2017

So I won't keep any of those who are here only for an update in any suspense. Construction has been taking some time for a few reasons but at this point all the plumbing for the restrooms is done and electrical started as of yesterday. There has been numerous city inspections during this process and I will list the basic things that still need to be finished. Once electrical work is complete, the walls of the restroom will be completed and then the flooring of the entire location will be redone. After that, the interior will receive a makeover that will include new lighting, wall patching and repair, and painting to finish things off. This process will hopefully take no longer than a month and then we can finally get things going and open the doors. Many people have asked what is taking so long, so let me explain things briefly here. This building is almost 100 years old and we basically had to construct completely new plumbing to accommodate the requirements of the city to add more restrooms. This process included the digging up of concrete to lay new sewage lines and proper water pipes. Completely new construction of an additional restroom and water fountains, yes water fountains cause the city thinks Super Arcade is Disneyland and should have these for our customers.... Then we had to comply with all the handicap requirements and build 2 ramps from scratch with railings both in the front and the back of the store. We were also required to build a brand new enclosure for a trash bins, apparently Super Arcade is some restaurant providing food and drink and it is mandatory to have the proper waste disposal to ensure the lovely City of Azusa stays fresh and clean.

So to sum all this up, new handicap ramps, new railings, new restrooms and underground plumbing, added an office, added 2 storage closets, fully redone electrical of entire building, new flooring, and last but not least, a new exterior paint job. Had I have known I would've been stuck doing all this from the get go, there is no way in hell I would think I could've finished or even tried. If I actually kept an accurate log of every penny I spent to this day on this project I would probably turn myself into the nearest clinic and seek some psychiatric help. This project has not only taught me the biggest lesson in life, but it has also drained my soul and completely changed my life forever. The ups and downs I have been through in the past 2+ years have really taken a huge toll on not only me but also my friends and my family. Things have been done over the past couple years that cannot be repaired and so much valuable time has been wasted. At this point I can only pray it was all worth it and my ego and pride that wouldn't allow me to fail has not betrayed me and led me down a path of darkness.

As the status looms of my personal reputation and existence in the FGC as it's quickly been moving forward lately, I would like to say this. Although I am not fond of the fact that as a community we have been pushed so far into this "corporate" and "eSports" setting, I am proud that as a whole I am seeing growth and recognition for all the hard work everyone has put into it. I am a diehard Street Fighter fan through and through, and I have competed for well over 25 and still find much enjoyment playing and challenging people. But this wasn't my true motivation for coming all this way. This was not the reason that kept me striving day in and day out to find a way to get things done. When things started to weigh down on me, and times started to get really rough, I found the true sense of life and motivation from the people who supported the arcade, and the people who are no longer here to enjoy the game that many of us take for granted. Everyday we take life for granted and I can now say and admit that I was one of these people for many years. Though I understood as an adult what life is like, I never truly appreciated the reason I found to accomplish things and to do selfish acts without any recognition. I am man enough now to admit all my flaws and become willing to accept change and what is needed to move forward in life. My life changed greatly the sad night we lost one of our FGC brothers by the name of "PushaTee." Without going into detail, seeing a friend, a man of such great gaming passion, and a fellow father of 2 beautiful children die right in front of my own eyes...... That was probably the most heartbreaking moment in my life to this day and I am dedicating this entire project to him. There are not many people in this world that can compare to this man. It is not very often that you can find someone in this community, or in our entire human race for that matter, where people have 0 negative comments or remarks after they pass. I have yet to come across 1 person who had any ill will towards Terrance and this just shows how truly special you were to all of us bro. Thank you for changing my life and thank you for making our community a brighter place with your presence. You will be forever missed and your contributions to our brotherhood of gamers are still ongoing. I have something really nice planned to honor this man once we open and will have a dedicated area and cabinet set up with his name on it so his wife and children can come visit and see what he meant to me and the arcade.

Ok, so this blog turned out a little soft at the end and emotions start to show, but hey, I am a man of the people and will continue to try to and bring something to the community and return all that it has given to me. I would also like to say that I will be putting up a wall dedicated to the "fallen soldiers of the FGC" to honor the people who have passed away in beloved community. On this wall I will be placing "Dasrik" "PSX2000" "Remix aka Nelson Reyes""Patrick Collins" and a few others with some help and feedback from the community. Anyways, its almost 5am and this old man needs some sleep. Thank you all for reading and I will post more updates real soon. Have a great day.